


The Olive Branch

by the_technicolor_whiscash



Category: Pride and Prejudice (1995), Pride and Prejudice (2005), Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Genre: F/M, I don't know what I'm doing, Modern AU, Museum AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-14
Updated: 2017-06-14
Packaged: 2018-11-13 22:48:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11195058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_technicolor_whiscash/pseuds/the_technicolor_whiscash
Summary: Lizzy Bennet is working as a waitress. When she meets Fitzwilliam Darcy, her whole life changes. But is it for the better?





	The Olive Branch

**Author's Note:**

> Oh my GOD this started out as a joke where I was like "what if Lizzy worked at Olive Garden? That would be funny." And then I got REALLY INTO IT

Lizzy had been a waitress at Olive Garden for… well, it had been a while. She didn't mind her job, but it wasn't exactly fun. She had always tried for management positions when they opened, but never managed to get one. Eventually, she decided to start applying for other jobs in other places, stating her extensive résumé and the fact that she had gone to Oxford to study English Literature. Ideally, she wanted to work in a museum, but that clearly wasn't happening anytime soon. But she kept hoping, looking for any sign of a miracle. 

One day, she was waitressing a table of two men and two women who looked like their sisters. One of the men was quite cheerful, always smiling and thanking Lizzy for her work. The other man seemed very dark and brooding, but there was something in his eyes that betrayed something more. Some deeper emotions than he let on to the other man. 

Suddenly, Lizzy realized that she recognized the happy man to be Charles Bingley, the guy who her sister Jane was dating. They had only met on occasion, which was why she didn't recognize him, but he recognized her immediately after she mentioned it. 

“Oh! Lizzy, how could I not have recognized you before!” He laughed, before turning to the other man. “Fitzie, this is the sister of the girl I'm dating.” 

“I see.” The man who he called Fitzie murmered. 

“Why, Lizzy, I knew you worked at an Olive Garden, but I didn't realize it was this one. What a lucky coincidence!”

“Yes, quite lucky.” Lizzy said, smiling.

“This is my sister, Caroline, my friend, Fitzwilliam Darcy, and his sister, Georgiana.” Bingley said, waving at each as he introduced them. 

“Fitzwilliam.” Lizzy almost snorted. “I can see why you go by Fitzie.” 

“I don't normally. Usually I go by Darcy, but Bingley here calls me by many nicknames.” Darcy replied. “I take it you don't always go by Lizzy.”

“No. To people I don't know, I’m Elizabeth, to my family, I’m Eliza, and to friends, I’m Lizzy.” 

“That’s quite complicated.”

“Not once you get the hang of it.” 

For a moment, they stared at each other. Lizzy analyzed every aspect of the man, quickly realizing that she was not fond of him in the slightest. He was clearly pompous, arrogant, and prejudiced. The worst type of man. Of course, she didn't know him as well as Bingley did, so she could have been wrong. But she was usually good on these things. 

Meanwhile, Darcy was thinking almost the opposite. Immediately after meeting her, he witnessed her wit, and clear intelligence of speaking, and the way she was more than a match for him. Plus, even in the dim restaurant lighting, he could tell that she was beautiful. And that she seemed to dislike him immediately. He would have to change that. 

“Do you like working at Olive Garden?” Bingley asked Lizzy.

“It’s not the worst job in the world, but I'd like to branch out. Ideally, I’d like to get a job in a museum or something.” 

“Really! Now, that does sound interesting. What would you want to do at a museum?”

“Oh, you know, maybe act as a curator, or someone who just answers questions about things. I’d be fine with anything.” 

“Have you ever been interviewed for a position?” 

“Unfortunately, no. It's probably because I was an English Lit major and not a History major.”

“Wait a second, Darcy, don’t you work at a museum?”

“Yes. I do.” 

Lizzy realized this could be a good opportunity for her, even if she did think the man was pompous. “Do you think you could help me get a job there? What museum is it?”

“The natural history museum. I teach lectures there. I can attempt to get you a job, but you would have to be qualified.” 

“I’m beyond qualified. I wrote several academic papers in college on natural history.” 

“I see. I’ll have my boss take a look at them, then.” 

“Thank you so much. Once I’m done with my shift here, I can email them to you. What’s your email address?”

He jotted down his email address and handed it to her. She shoved it into her pocket, praying that this would work and she could finally get out of Olive Garden. It was a wonder that that Darcy was willing to do this for her. She began to wonder if he had any ulterior motives. 

\-----------

After her shift, Lizzy ran home and emailed Darcy her papers. They were all quite lengthy, and most of them on prehistoric artwork and paintings. There was one, however, that she was quite proud of about Ancient Egyptian mummies. She hoped they would convince Darcy’s boss to give her a job. 

She wondered about that Darcy. Sure, he was pompous, probably really rich, and fairly pretentious, there was something about him that made him seem… different. Perhaps it was the fact that he was friends with Bingley made her trust him more. She only vaguely knew Bingley, but she knew he was a kind man who only wanted people to be happy. If Bingley liked Darcy, how bad could he really be?

\-------------

The next morning, Lizzy checked her email. One message from Darcy. 

“Miss Bennet,

I believe you and I got off on the wrong foot the other night. You left off with the impression that I am a rich -pardon my french- dickbag, and though you seemed pleased with the fact that I am helping you get a better job, you still don't seem to trust me. Therefore, I ask that you reconsider your initial judgement of me. I have never been good at conversing with strangers, as I usually leave Bingley to the talking. I hope that we can eventually become better acquainted.   
Your papers were excellent. I am sure my boss will love them.   
I can give you a tour of the museum, if you'd like.

Have a nice day.   
F. Darcy.”

Lizzy was puzzled. The man was clearly trying hard to get on her good side, even though they had just met. Why was that? Did he want something from her? Did he want to borrow money from her, or con her out of her car or something? It was hard for her to believe that the man could be entirely genuine. But he did offer to give her a tour of the museum. 

“Mr Darcy

Yes, I would greatly appreciate a tour of the museum. Perhaps then we can become, as you say, better acquainted. How does Wednesday sound?

Best wishes,  
Elizabeth Bennet.” 

She hit send, and was secretly excited. Not to be spending time with Mr Darcy, but to be getting a free tour of the museum. Despite the many applications she had sent there, she hadn't actually been to the museum in several years. It would be a nice refresher, and she could check out things that hadn't been there the last time. She would just have to tolerate being there with Mr Darcy. At least he seemed to be trying to redeem himself from their cold meeting. 

\----------

“Miss Bennet,

Wednesday is fine. Meet me at the museum at nine. 

Yours,  
F. Darcy.”

\----------

That Wednesday, Lizzy arrived at the museum at nine on the dot. She knew (after a few minutes of going through the museum website) that the museum didn't actually open until ten, so Darcy probably organized it so that they’d have an hour in the museum, just the two of them. Alone with Mr Darcy in a museum. What fun. 

Darcy waited outside the museum, standing as still as a statue. He tried to cover up the fact that he was extremely anxious about their meeting, but didn't seem to be doing a good job. He wasn't anxious about the tour. He had done tours hundreds of times. But he was anxious about her. Much to his dismay, he found his stomach in knots whenever he so much thought about her. Yes, unfortunately, Darcy realized he knew what these feelings were. He was in love, plain and simple. It was more distressing than they let on in the movies. He began to worry about how he looked, whether he had made the right choice of coat, et cetera. However, he tried to talk himself out of it. He told himself they had only known each other for a few minutes, and that it was likely to be nothing but a brief infatuation. Soon, he was to be quite over Elizabeth Bennet. 

Then, he saw her walking up to the museum. 

And he realized that he was not about to be over her anytime soon. 

“Good morning, Mr Darcy. Lovely day.” Lizzy said, attempting to smother Darcy with kindness. 

“Yes, quite.” He muttered. “I assume you know all of the rules of a museum?”

Rules? Horse shit. “Yeah, don't touch anything unless it says you can, don't break anything, don't do anything stupid.”

“...Essentially.” 

Without another word, they entered the museum. It was oddly silent from the lack of visitors, but it provided an interesting atmosphere. Lizzy found herself gasping at the wide main entrance hall, which contained two recreation dinosaur skeletons, battling it out directly in the center of the hall. The plaque at the bottom said what they were, but Lizzy was more consumed with the dinosaurs to read it. 

“Gigantosaurus and Tyrannosaurus. The T-Rex is more widely known, but the Gigantosaur is just as big.” Darcy said from behind her. 

“It's so much different, to see it with no one else around.”

“Quite.”

“What do you teach lectures on, Mr Darcy?” 

Darcy seemed surprised by the question. “Well, mostly ancient civilizations, like the Egyptians and such, though I do do some on other topics. It all depends on what’s needed at the time.”

“Interesting. Maybe I could attend one of your lectures sometime.”

“I would gladly save a seat for you.” 

Silence. 

“So…” Lizzy began, “Which wing should we visit first?”

“I would suggest the fossil wing. We have some impressive fossil shark skeletons.”

“Interesting. Please, lead the way.” 

She took Darcy by the arm, and he led her to the fossil wing. It was as impressive as Darcy said, with enough fossil sharks to fill an aquarium. 

She pointed to one, a whirl of teeth. “Yikes. Hate to be caught by something with that attached to its mouth.” 

“The Helicoprion. It mainly ate small creatures, but with a mouth like that, I can imagine how any fish could come to fear it.” 

Darcy seemed to know much about everything. Any questions Lizzy had, Darcy answered them immediately. She had come to quite admire his intellect. 

They proceeded through the rest of the fossil wing, the creepy taxidermied animal wing, and the prehistoric human wing. Finally, they reached the wing she had most anticipated: the Mummy wing. The museum had one of the largest collections of mummies, and ancient Egyptian artifacts as a whole, in the world. 

“Wow. I can't believe how many mummies you have here.” 

“Yes, we have quite the collection. It’s my favorite wing in the museum.”

“Well, I can see why it’s your favorite. It’s absolutely stunning.” 

Darcy admired Lizzy from a distance, watching as she looked at each and every artifact with the eye of an expert. He found that he could no longer talk himself out of the fact that he was in love with her. 

“Darcy, what’s the deal with this one over here? It seems fairly beat up.”

“That's a fairly high-ranking priest, found in a tomb in Memphis. Grave robbers had gotten to him before archeologists, and his coffin was all bumped around. We restored it, but it's not perfect.” 

“Sounds like a tough job.” 

“It was. I was one of the people who helped repair him. My degree is actually in Egyptology.” 

“Really? That's interesting. How does one repair a mummy so damaged?” 

“Very carefully.”

The clock struck ten, and visitors began to advance into the museum. But they still had much more to see. 

“Now,” Darcy said, “I’ll show you the part of the museum the public doesn't see. First the archives, then the restoration labs.”

“I actually interned at a museum archive when I was in college.” 

“You’ll be right at home, then.”

They went through a door that read MUSEUM STAFF ONLY, through a winding hallway, and into the museum archives. It was an immense room, filled with shelves and drawers and safes filled with precious artifacts probably worth millions. It was heaven. 

“This is amazing. Much bigger than the one I worked at in college.” Lizzy said, as she stared at the immense collection. 

“I’m sure it is. We have a ton of artifacts that aren’t on display for one reason or another, whether it's because of better artifacts to display, or the fact that they're vaguely penis-shaped.”

“Get a lot of ancient stone dildos?”

“You’d be surprised.” 

“I doubt it. I've seen my fair share of stone dildos, and I worked at an English history museum.”

Lizzy was surprised that Darcy actually laughed at that remark. It turns out the stoic Mr Darcy actually had a sense of humor. 

“So, where do you give lectures?” Lizzy asked. 

“There's a collection of classrooms on the third floor. I can show you, if you want.” 

“Please do. Then, we can check out the restoration labs.” 

They took the elevator up to the third floor, where a number of doors signified the classrooms where lectures were given. They looked somewhat like small lecture halls, with seats and desks at an incline facing towards a dry-erase board. Darcy stopped in front of one of them. 

“This is where I usually give lectures. It's small, but it's nice. Plus, it's got air conditioning for when the summer comes around.”

“It's nice. Do a lot of people come to your lectures?”

“Quite a few. More people come to the lectures where I include interactive aspects, like ancient clothing and whatnot. I taught one on ancient weaponry which was widely attended.” 

“That sounds interesting. Will you be teaching it again?”

“Maybe.”

They proceeded down to the basement, where the restoration labs were. Many lab techs were already hard at work, cleaning and preserving artifacts to be put on display. 

Darcy waved to Lizzy, and he pointed through a window to a group of lab techs leaning over a table which appeared to be covered with a pile of ratty linen. 

“They’re working on repairing the wrappings of a mummy recently found. They don't know who he is, but he seems to be important.”

“That’s cool. How do they do it?”

“They use a variety of preservation techniques, in order to preserve the body of the mummy, the wrappings, and anything else which may have been on the body. It can be quite time-consuming, but the end results are worth the wait.” 

“Wow.” 

For a minute or two, they watched the lab techs silently working away. Then, Lizzy felt her phone buzz. It was her sister Jane.

“Jane? What’s up?” Lizzy asked into her phone. 

“Oh, nothing’s up. I just wanted to see how your date with Mr Darcy is going.”

Lizzy looked over her shoulder, making sure Darcy wasn't paying attention to her conversation. She whispered, “Jane, it’s not a date. It's a museum tour.”

“Sure, Lizzy. Then why did Darcy tell Charles that he was into you?”

“I… I’m sure he must be making that up. I have to go.”

“Charles wouldn't make up something like that. Darcy’s into you, and you know it.”

“Alright, so maybe he is. What does that have to do with anything?”

“Lizzy, he’s young, at least semi-attractive, and into you.”

“Ok, good point. But…” Her voice got even quieter, and she took a few steps away. “I don't even know if I’m into him. Not yet, anyway. Yes, he’s hot, brilliant, and from what I can tell, quite rich, but that doesn't mean he's right for me. But he is hot. He’s… he’s really hot.” 

“That’s the spirit. Hey, when you go to the gift shop, can you get me one of those pairs of socks with Ben Franklin on them?”

“This is a natural history museum, Jane. I don't think they sell those.”

“Well, at least get me some fun socks. I'll pay you back.” 

“Fine. Talk to you later.”

“Bye!”

Meanwhile, Darcy stood off to the side, pretending as though he heard nothing. On the contrary, he heard most of what they said. He didn't quite know who they were talking about who was so ‘hot,’ but he began to suspect they were talking about him. What does one begin to do, in a situation like that? He decided not to mention it. 

Lizzy walked back over to Darcy. “Sorry, my sister just called to check up on me.” 

“Of course. Is there anything else you would like to see?”

Lizzy thought for a moment. “What about the gift shop?”

Darcy led her up the stairs and down a long hall, eventually coming upon the gift shop. They had everything there, from commemorative spoons to replica mummies. Lizzy located some socks with a bunch of little mummies on them and bought them for Jane. 

“Find what you were looking for?” Darcy asked, once Lizzy had finished shopping. 

“Yes, I did. My sister wanted some funny socks, so I found these ones with mummies on them.”

“How appropriate.”

“Indeed.”

“My boss should be in my now. Would you like to meet him?”

Lizzy didn't think about the fact that she might get to meet Darcy’s boss today. She hoped they wouldn't have to do an interview or anything, since she wasn't prepared in the least. 

Nonetheless, she swallowed down her self-doubt. “Absolutely.” 

The offices of those who work at the museum were on the fourth floor, so they rode the elevator up once again. They walked through a maze of halls, passing many busy-looking museum workers, archeologists, and scientists. Eventually, they came up to one door which Lizzy assumed to be Darcy’s boss’s door. Darcy opened the door without knocking, and Lizzy followed, only briefly glancing at the name on the door. 

Darcy. The name on the door read Darcy.

And there was no one else in the office except for the two of them. And on the desk, a nameplate read “Dr. Fitzwilliam Darcy–Museum Director.” 

“What?” Lizzy exclaimed, seeing the nameplate. 

“I apologize for leading you on like that. I’m not overly fond of sharing my position with strangers.”

“So you mean to tell me, the entire time, you were the museum director? You don't have a boss, you just wanted to trick me like that?”

“I assure you, Miss Bennet, it was all for a good reason. In thinking I was a lowly lecturer, you could be more natural around me. It would allow me to be a better judge of your character.” 

“And why do you need to judge my character?”

“Because, that was your job interview. I knew you were brilliant from your papers, but I had no idea what you were like. You can have any position you want in the museum.” 

Lizzy frowned. “Wait, seriously?”

“Yes. Seriously.” 

“So I could be a curator in the Ancient Egyptian department if I wanted to?”

“If you so wish.”

“Is this how you find all of your curators?”

“No. You are a… special circumstance.” 

“Why me? I’m not as qualified as some other people.” 

“You are qualified, and I know that I can usually trust people who Bingley trusts.” 

“I see. You use the Bingley System Of Trust too.” 

“You could say that.” 

“Well. Uh, when should I start?” 

“As soon as you want. Right now, or after you leave your Olive Garden job.” 

“Man, I will not be sad to say goodbye to that place. Thank you so much for this, Mr Darcy.” 

“It’s nothing. Plus, you don't need to call me Mr Darcy. Call me whatever you like.”

“Alright. Fitzie.” 

Darcy looked as though he was going to protest, but he decided against it. “If that is what you so wish.” 

“I’ll start next Monday, if you don't mind. I’ll need a few days to get my affairs in order.” 

“Of course. I’ll send you home with all of the necessary paperwork.” 

\------------

Lizzy was stunned. The day had quickly progressed from ‘day at the museum with the hot Mr Darcy’ to ‘job interview’ to ‘calling sister and crying about new job.’ Jane was so happy for her, she started crying too. There was an awful lot of happy crying in the Bennet family that day. 

But there was one thing that still bugged Lizzy. 

“Jane,” she asked her sister over the phone, “Do you really think Darcy is interested in me? Genuinely?” 

“Of course he is. Lizzy, have at least a little faith in yourself. Besides, Charles told me that Darcy simply wouldn't stop talking about you.” 

“Now that's hard to believe.”

“Yes, Charles does say that he is much more talkative in private.” 

They continued chatting for a bit, until Jane had to leave, so they hung up. After briefly returning home, Lizzy headed out to Olive Garden. She was going to resign, in the most dramatic way she could. And who better to help her, than her three younger sisters? 

Lizzy had the whole plan thought out. She had invested in some fireworks, which she had hidden in the woods behind the parking lot. The minute she would exit the building after resigning, Kitty and Lydia would light off the fireworks. Mary would watch them and make sure they didn't kill anyone. Or themselves.

She walked into the Olive Garden, slightly hesitant about her plan. But once she saw this one waiter who she couldn't stand, she realized that she had nothing to lose. She went up to her manager, a bitter woman named Deborah with no sense of humor. She began to say the lines she had practiced. 

“Hello there, Deborah.”

“Elizabeth. You’re late.” 

“Not anymore.” 

Kill Bill sirens began to play in Lizzy’s head. 

“I resign. Effective immediately.”

She dropped her work apron into Debora’s hand. 

“I hope I never see you again in my life, Deborah.” 

She turned around, leaving Deborah gaping like a fish. Her confidence boosted, she exited the restaurant and gave a thumbs up to Mary, who signaled to the other girls to light off the fireworks. 

Almost immediately, the fireworks shot off into the sky, lighting up the sky in a brilliant combination of reds, blues, and greens. People crowded to the windows of the Olive Garden, trying to catch a glimpse of what caused such a loud noise. Lizzy had bought the high-end fireworks that light off a bunch of times, so they'd have quite the show. 

Lizzy walked up to her sisters, who were wildly excited at the success of their stunt. Well, Kitty and Lydia were excited. Mary voiced her opinion against it more than once before, during, and after the stunt. 

“Eliza, I thought you of all people would listen to my protests. I thought for sure you were more sensible than this.”

“Mary, I’m resigning. This is not nearly as bad as some of the things I've seen online.” 

Mary simply shook her head and walked off towards the car. Lizzy valued Mary’s level-headedness, but was never fond of her ‘holier-than-thou’ complex. 

Lizzy drove her sisters home, before heading back to her apartment. She checked her email. One email in her inbox stood out to her. It was from Darcy. 

“Miss Bennet (may I call you Elizabeth?) 

Saw the stunt you pulled. Bingley retweeted a video of it from your sister.   
Impressive job. I admire your initiative. 

Yours,  
Fitzie.”

‘Impressive job?’ Not only did he sign his email with the more informal Fitzie, but he was commending her for lighting fireworks off after resigning. What kind of an employer would this man turn out to be?

“Fitzie

Thank you for the praise. I hope to live up to your expectations at work.

Best,   
Lizzy (Call me what you’d like. You are my boss.)”

In the morning, she checked her email. Just one message. 

“Lizzy

I’m sure you will be excellent.

Yours,  
Fitzie (I hope the fact that I’m your boss will not get in the way of our budding friendship.)”

\----------

Monday. The first day of her new job. Lizzy was a little fearful of what might happen, but after Darcy introduced her to her coworkers, she felt right at home. Her job, for now, was to help organize a new exhibit and fact-check the descriptions for a few new artifacts. Easy enough. Her coworkers were all very supportive, offering to help if she needed it. 

At the end of the day, Darcy called her into his office. He seemed anxious, like he had something on his mind. Lizzy feared she had done something wrong at work. Maybe he noticed when she accidentally dropped that stone shabti on the floor? It didn't break, and it wasn't even her fault, since it only happened because the leg on her chair fell off. Was it about the chair? She could pay for it, once she got her first paycheck. 

“Lizzy. Please, have a seat.” Darcy said, an air of anxiety on his voice. 

“Is there something wrong? Is this because of the shabti I dropped? Because I promise it didn't break, I checked.” 

“No, your work is excellent. It's… I…” He fell silent. 

“Fitzie, I assure you, if it's anything I've done, I can fix it right away.” 

“It's nothing you've done. It's… I have…” he gulped. “I like you. A… a lot.” 

“What are you getting at here?” 

“I believe I’m in love with you, and I want to know if you wanted to go out sometime. With me.” 

Lizzy felt her face turn red. “I… yes, I would like that, but wouldn't that be a little odd? With that you’re my boss and all?”

“I assure you, I would do everything in my power to avoid making things awkward.” 

“I… I just need some time to think about it.” 

“Of course. I will wait as long as you need.” 

\-------------

A week had passed. Every time Lizzy ran into Darcy at work, a world of awkwardness ensued. She knew that in order to restore some degree of normalcy into the workplace, she'd have to either accept or reject Darcy. 

And on that, she was conflicted. On one hand, she didn't want to get into a relationship with him. She had just gotten a new job, and if they ever broke up, it would be awkward to see him everyday. But on the other hand, she was starting to like him. He was sweet, and, of course, very hot. Like, gave her a lady boner hot. 

Instead of debating internally, she decided to call up Jane. Jane was always trustworthy when it came to matters of the heart. 

After explaining the situation, Lizzy sighed. “I don't know what to do, Jane.”

“Well, do you like him?”

“Of course I like him. He’s kind, and funny, and immensely hot, and my stomach jumps hurdles whenever he looks at me the right way.” 

“That’s a sign. That's a big sign.”

“But Jane, if we break up, it'll be awful!” 

“Don't think about the consequences, Lizzy. Do you think he’ll make you happy now?”

“Of course he would, but-”

“Lizzy. Just go for it! Come on, what do you have to lose?”

“I… Oh, you’re right, as usual. I should just go for it.” 

“Exactly, Lizzy. You’re young, intelligent, pretty, and have the whole world ahead of you. Why not take the risk and hit that?”

“Alright. I will hit that. Except maybe not in that phrasing.” 

“Good call.” 

After they hung up, Lizzy decided to check her email one last time before going to bed. This time, there was a few emails. A link to a cat video Lydia sent her (she’d have to watch that later), a message from Goodreads about monthly new releases, a kudos on her sad-sack X-Files fanfiction. And, of course, an email from Darcy. She almost didn't want to open it, but she did nonetheless. 

“Lizzy

I apologize if I have made things awkward between us. If you wish, I can transfer to a different department. 

Yours,  
Fitzie.”

Lizzy sighed. The poor guy. 

“Fitzie

No, don’t transfer. I don't see you enough as it is. I miss seeing you.   
I have made up my mind, though. Meet me in your office after work. 

Best,  
Lizzy.” 

She shut her laptop and ran a hand through her hair. Now, she just had to wait. 

\----------

Darcy was distressed. He had no idea whether or not Lizzy was going to accept him or turn him down, and it was making him a wreck. He barely slept, barely ate, and was living off of coffee and snacks from the museum snack bar. His sister was beginning to pick up on it. 

“William, is something bothering you?” Georgiana asked him, a few days after he asked Lizzy out. 

“No, everything’s fine. I’m just… distracted, that's all.” 

“No you’re not. I know that look. I see it in Bingley’s eyes when he talks about Jane. It’s a girl, isn't it?”

“Yes. Unfortunately, it is.” 

“Wow. Big brother in love. I never thought I’d see the day.” 

“Ha ha.” 

“Do tell me, who is it?”

“Remember that Elizabeth Bennet who I was telling you about?” 

“No, really? William, she’s your coworker! You gave her her job! Isn't that a little weird?”

“Maybe it is. I didn't really think that much about it.” 

“Just tell me this. Tell me you won't let it all fall to pieces by bottling up your emotions like you always do.” 

“I’ll try.”

“No. Say it.”

“Fine. I won't bottle up my emotions.”

“Good. This girl better be as good as you say she is. I wouldn't want anyone less dating my big brother.” 

“Don't worry, Georgie. She’s… amazing.” 

\-----------

The door to Darcy’s office was closed, which Lizzy found to be odd. His door was never closed. She knocked. Silence. So she slowly twisted the knob, opening the door just a crack to reveal… Caroline Bingley, sitting atop Darcy’s desk. 

“Hello, Elizabeth. I bet you’re wondering why I’m here.” Caroline sneered. “I know you’ve been hitting on Darcy. But I’ll have you know, Darcy’s mine. He’d never have eyes for a poor waitress. You know he only gave you that cushy curator job because he felt bad for you.”

“Shut up. And I haven't been hitting on him. He was hitting on me.”

“Oh, like there's that much of a difference. Now, unless you want all of your coworkers to know that you've been in an illicit affair with their boss, then tell Darcy you're not going out with him.” 

Before Lizzy could respond, Darcy burst into the room. But Caroline had already done her damage. 

“You.” Darcy snarled at Caroline. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, just blackmailing your girlfriend. Nothing major.” 

Caroline proceeded to saunter out of the room, a victoriously evil smirk on her face. 

Darcy turned to Lizzy. “What did she say?”

“She said she would blackmail us unless… unless I turned you down.” 

“What kind of blackmail? Was it money?”

“No. She said she’d tell all of our coworkers you and I were having an illicit affair. I simply cannot believe a man so kind and good as Bingley could be related to such a horrible woman.”

“Yes, it truly defies the imagination. But back to the point. What do you plan on doing?”

“I don't know. I… I was going to accept your offer for a date, but I don't want to risk both of our jobs.” 

“You can still accept. I’m sure our coworkers trust us more than they trust the word of some mad woman.” 

“No. With something like that, they wouldn't know who to trust.”

“Then what do we do?”

“Well, either I turn you down or…”

“Or?”

“Or we come out now and tell our coworkers that we started dating. It's less risky than having Caroline tell them, though they still might not trust us.” 

“You're right. We’ll just have to tell them. But how does one tell their coworkers something like this?”

“I’m not sure, to be honest.” 

“But you are going to accept my offer?”

“Of course I am. You're amazing. I would be a fool to reject you.”

Darcy smiled, and Lizzy realized that it was the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. It was wonderfully sincere, heartfelt, and said more than words could ever say. “Thank goodness. I was beginning to worry you were going to change your mind.”

Lizzy took his hand, and ran her thumb over his knuckles. “So I guess it’s official, then. We’re dating.”

“Quite. Where would you like to go out? Dinner? Dancing? Ice skating? I can take you anywhere you want to go.” 

“Hmm… how about the aquarium?”

“That sounds lovely. I will organize it as soon as we’re done dealing with this… situation.”

Right. In the heat of the moment, Lizzy almost forgot Caroline’s threat hanging above their heads. “I suppose we should go tell our coworkers, then.”

“Right. I’ll gather everyone in the conference room.” 

“And I'll plan out what to say. This is going to be the most awkward thing in the world.” 

“Undoubtedly. But it must be done.”

Lizzy didn't actually plan anything to say. She figured they could just wing it on the spot. So she went to the conference room, and waited until the whole Egyptology department filed in. It wasn’t a huge department, so hopefully, the gossip wouldn't spread far. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen. Thank you for joining us, for what I assume will be a short and quite uncomfortable meeting.” Darcy said. His commanding presence grew the attention of the room in seconds. 

Lizzy cleared her throat. “Yes. What we have called you here to say, is that Dr. Darcy and I are dating. It is in no way connected to our jobs, we just felt that due to the circumstances, we should inform you all, and avoid any possible tension in the future. If you hear any other news about our relationship from anyone other than us, it is likely incorrect.”

An elderly lab tech raised her hand, and Lizzy nodded towards her. “Miss Bennet, are you saying someone’s trying to spread false information about you?”

“Yes, that does sound about right.” 

“Why would they do something like that?”

“Because they're a cruel and jealous person. Why does anyone do anything? Any more questions? If there isn't, you’re all free to leave.”

Evidently, everyone wanted to leave, so no more questions were asked. After everyone exited the conference room, Lizzy sighed. 

“That was the single worst experience of my life.” 

“I’m sorry you had to go through that. Caroline is terrible. I tolerate her, as she is the sister of my dear friend, but sometimes she crosses the line.”

“Well, we don't have to worry about her anymore. Now, we have to look forward to our upcoming aquarium date.” 

“Why, of course. Would you like the full after-hours tour? Or perhaps dinner in front of the shark tank?”

“Hmm. What would be our main course?”

“Fish.”

“Really? Talk about rubbing salt in the wound.” 

“Salt, lemon, and a variety of other spices. Sometimes I have dinner there with the other museum executives.” 

“That does sound excellent.”

“I will make the call posthaste.” He began to make his way towards the door. 

“Wait. Hold on. Before you do…” She stopped him and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “There. Now you can go.”

Darcy looked surprised at first, but then smiled his beautiful smile again. “We should do more of that.”

“Absolutely. We can do it at dinner. And before dinner. And probably after dinner too.” 

“Actually, I have an idea for something else we can do after dinner.” 

“Mmm? And what might that be?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“I’m sure it is.”

**Author's Note:**

> Also this is low-key reflecting the fact that I really want to get a job at a museum after college but that's just me


End file.
